Nessa Childers (Ireland)

MEPs speak out on dementia

Nessa Childers organised a seminar entitled “Shared Priorities – Dementia and Alzheimer policy in Europe and Ireland” on 17 June 2011, in Dublin, Ireland. The seminar offered a platform for policy experts from Europe and Ireland to explore ways in which to help people with dementia and their families as well as ways in which to prevent the onset of dementia.

Ms Childers said: “Our health care system as its stands discriminates against older people, this may not be the intention but reflects a mind-set when it comes to spending policy. I’m calling for the end of the discrimination against illness of later life where there is a cap on medical care for older people that would not be tolerated in cancer care or care for children.”

Ms Childers focused on the EU Joint Action on Alzheimer’s initiative, which was launched earlier in the year in an effort to step up cooperation and support to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care across the EU.

Ms Childers introduced the following amendments to the new EU Initiative:

To focus on specific needs of women, who account for twice the amount of people living with dementia, or caring for a family member with dementia

To focus on a healthy diet as current research suggests that diet may be a significant causal factor in the development of Alzheimer's